Green building is continuing to proliferate throughout the world as a way to mitigate environmental impact both during the construction and throughout the life-cycle of commercial, industrial, and private buildings. Passive, or "zero energy," houses are becoming more prevalent in the United States after successful implementations in Europe. Passive houses are able to maintain a comfortable inner climate without active heating and cooling systems using a system of interior and exterior air exchange. Additionally, LEED 2012 is being developed and will focus on increasing the technical rigor of the rating system, expanding the market sectors eligible for LEED, and striving for ease of use. The previous versions of LEED have proven successful at helping to promote green building efforts.

Energy consumption and the green house gas emissions that result from that consumption are increasingly visible environmental issues within the United States. The building industry contributes both directly and indirectly to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission is inherent during the building process, as well as during the building's lifecycle. As such, the building industry increases both the nation's dependence on foreign energy sources and its greenhouse gas emissions. 

To curb energy use and emissions in the building industry, certain standards for energy and water usage efficiency have been created. Not only do these standards reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy and water usage, they also have the power to help a business or household save money. In addition, much has been said about the healthier nature of green buildings; whether through increased ventilation, materials that emit fewer volatile organic compounds, lighting which includes more natural light or healthier cleaning product usage, green buildings are contributing to an increase in occupant comfort and health.

With the creation of non-profit and government certification organizations along with state and local incentives, the past ten years have seen an enormous increase in interest in green building. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit concerned with sustainable building proliferation, estimates there is a $12 billion "annual market for green building in products and services" (USGBC, 2008b). 

According to USGBC, "Compared with conventional US practices, green buildings have demonstrated reductions in energy use by 30%, carbon emissions by 35%, water use by 50%, and construction waste by 50% or more" (USGBC Research Committee, 2008, p. 7). This data is supported by a technical report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory which notes that "energy efficiency improvements that use the best available technologies and practices and integrated, whole-building design approaches can, on average, reduce consumption by 43%" (Griffith et al., 2007).